Children Drown Without a Sound
Child drowning and near drowning continues to be a major problem here in Orange County. These are accidents that can be prevented by residents following some simple guidelines.

Children not only drown in backyard swimming pools, but often in community pools when people are not watching. The Orange County Fire Authority has provided the following information on how to prevent child drowning.

Secure Pool Area A fence or barrier completely surrounding the pool can prevent many drowning accidents. Most children who drown or nearly drown were last seen in the yard, porch, or patio prior to the accident.

Although a fence separating the pool and spa in the single most effective barrier for preventing childhood drowning, no one method alone is totally effective in preventing drowning accidents.

Practical Steps
Pool owners can take practical steps to make their pools and spas less dangerous by installing "layers of protection".

Pools should be fenced from the rest of the house. Fences should be five feet high.

The area adjacent to the outside of the fence must be free of objects which may aid children in climbing over the fence. These include items such as chairs, tables, tree branches, etc.

Gates should be self-closing and self-latching, opening outward away from pool.

A gate latch should be placed at the top of the gate and be inaccessible from the outside by small children.

All doors and windows leading to the pool should always be secured and locked at all times.

Additional "layers of protection" include safety covers, alarms on doors and motion-detection devices.

Remember pool covers, gates and other layers of protection do not replace adult supervision.

Assign an adult Water Watcher to supervise the pool/spa area, especially during social gatherings.

Assign a second adult to maintain constant visual contact with children in the pool/spa area. Don’t assume someone else is watching a child.

Never leave a child alone near a pool or spa, bathtub, toilet, water-filled bucket, pond, or any standing water in which a child’s nose and mouth may be submersed.

Don’t rely on swimming lessons, life preservers, or any other equipment to make child water-safe.

Don’t allow children to play in the pool/spa area.

Look in the pool area first if a child is missing.

Mount flotation devices designed for lifesaving near the pool. Many float-type toys are thought to be lifesavers. They are not! They are only toys and should be used only as toys.

All adults, children and babysitters should learn and practice CPR. Non-Certified CPR Classes are offered by the Orange County Fire Authority.

Keep a telephone outside the pool area. Post the 9-1-1 emergency number on the telephone.